Love is an Illness
by corporalsunglasses
Summary: The Titan Virus has claimed a third of the world's population. Eren was infected, but still remains in control of himself. Levi is humanity's greatest defender against the infected monsters from this virus, but what will happen when he meets Eren? ***This is my first story! I'm nervous and confused, so help me out please :) Thank you!***
1. The Virus

_I do not own Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin or its characters. It belongs to Hajime Isayama._

Chapter 1: The Virus

"The Titan Virus came about around 7 years ago. Its beginnings are still unknown, but what we do know is that one of its first victims originated in Hamburg, Germany. The Titan Virus is a worldwide epidemic. So far the human population has lost an estimated 200 million people to this disease, and the numbers rise each day. This virus is only transferred through direct blood contact, and its symptoms are immediate. First, the victim will experience extreme pain to their infected area, then throughout their body as it rapidly spreads. Next, the victim will lose their senses, most likely losing consciousness as well. The next chains of reactions happen in less than 10 minutes, where the body will basically shut down. There is a 15% chance of survival. In the case that one does survive this, they will awaken to find that their heart has stopped beating, blood circulation has stopped completely, eye color has changed to a deep grey, all extremities are cold and stiff, and voice has become slightly gruff; the only sounds they make include grunts and yells. Some of these symptoms reflect those almost of a cadaver, but I assure you, these new creatures, now deemed Titans, are alive. Their sole purpose so far only seems to be to kill and eat every living thing around it. They have incredible healing abilities towards themselves, increased strength and speed, and seem to have a digestive system second to none. They do not require food or water, sunlight, sleep, or even air for that matter. They are good hunters, especially at night. These creatures are extremely modern, and extremely dangerous. They are capable of learning from others, and their tactics improve each time they fight. I believe my research is incredibly beneficial for our knowledge of Titans. I have concluded that they are capable of emotions, and their vocal cords are still intact, hinting they may be able to speak. During an MRI of the brain, I could conclude that Titans' brains are the only part of their body keeping them alive, and as a matter of fact, what makes them so powerful is that the virus seems to increase their brain capacity from 30% to 70%. We have much to learn from these creatures, and we are developing a cure to end world suffering from this tragedy. Thank you all for listening to my speech, this panel is dismissed."


	2. The Squad

_I do not own Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin or its characters. It belongs to Hajime Isayama._

Chapter 2: The Squad

A flurry of crowds exited the room. Some had ponderous looks on their face, most with sheer terror. How could that scientist be so collected as she talked about such an awful thing? She almost seemed… excited? Such were the thoughts of also Levi Rivaille, Corporal of the Survey Corps and best friend to the scientist: Hanji Zoe. The Survey Corps were the relatively small group entrusted by the United Nation Leaders to take care of the epidemic. Today's panel was an informative to those who wanted to listen in on what they were in for.

Levi scoffed, then turned and walked out of the room with the rest of his troop. They all seemed uneasy from the presentation, all except for Hanji, but that was normal. She was obsessed with titans from the start, and the only scientist in the world brave enough to come close and personal with one just to perform tests. Levi looked at his troops. Some of the best fighters and strategists there were. There was Farlan, his brother. A tall, blonde and attractive male who smiled all the time, and in a fight, could be the backbone of the team. Next to him was Isabel, Farlan's girlfriend, and another of Levi's longtime friends. Her red hair was just as vibrant as her personality, her smile could light up the whole room, and no one could ever disagree with her on anything. Then there was Erd, who could cheer you up with a small pep talk whenever and in whatever situation, Gunther, the strong and silent type, Olou, who often stuck his nose in places it didn't belong, and Petra, the loving mother figure of the group. They were all fierce fighters, and extremely loyal. Levi was named their corporal. The team leader. He was their strength, Humanity's strength. When the epidemic broke out those 7 years ago, he, along with the Captain and overall leader of the Survey Corps, Erwin Smith, joined immediately and started their group to defend humanity. Levi and Erwin were a lot alike. Both strong, wise, and smart leaders. Levi was more of a fighter, and Erwin, a strategist. Hanji, as most knew, was the eccentric and devoted scientist. She could be crazy at times, but she was incredibly loyal, and knew what she was doing. This group of people, together formed the Survey Corps. And together, not only were they unstoppable, but they were a family.


	3. 7 Years Ago - Eren

_I do not own Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin or its characters. It belongs to Hajime Isayama._

Chapter 3: 7 Years Ago – Eren

 _Hamburg, Germany, 1998_

"Eren! Come inside now!" Carla Yeager called to her 10-year-old son, Eren. The brunette mother of two was going to prepare her energetic son and contrastingly quiet daughter, Mikasa, for bed. Eren ran through the living room, and latched on to Mikasa's arm from her spot on the couch before dragging the both of them up the stairs, brief shock showing on Mikasa's otherwise stoic face from the sudden jerk. Carla smiled. She was a kind and loving mother, and for the moment, she thought of how perfect everything was. Their house was a beautiful 2-story with a nice view of the ocean. The neighborhood was safe and quiet, and the neighbors were all friends, including the children being friends with her own. They all attended school together, and things were as they were supposed to be. Peaceful. Perfect. The only flaw Carla could see in this vision was the absence of her husband, Grisha. He was a scientist for… a company Carla always forgot the name of. She didn't care as much as she felt she should, but honestly she felt as if she couldn't even ask Grisha, as he was barely home anymore. Ever since he developed a tonic for the "enhancement of the human brain", he had spent more time at work, and less time at home. And even so, when he was at home, he spent his time in the house basement, where he had a miniature lab to continue work. Carla sighed quietly. Of course, she would never show her worry and sadness over her husband to her children, she needed to be their rock. They would ask sometimes where their father was, and she had to tell them he was off doing amazing things for them and for the world, but sometimes she felt as if it were a lie. Slowly making her way up the stairs, Carla turned the corner and walked the remaining distance down the hall to Mikasa and Eren's shared room. The two were the best of friends, and Mikasa's adopted nature was almost a disbelief when one saw how close she was to Eren and how normal she felt and acted in the Yeager family. Carla stepped inside the room. Eren was sitting on Mikasa's twin bed talking excitedly about some book his friend Armin had told him about. Eren was a big fan of the ocean, and while Mikasa wasn't, she loved Eren enough to put on a smile and listen attentively. Carla smiled. She sat on the edge of the bed, and got the undivided attention of both her children. "Don't you think its time for sleep? How can you possibly have any more energy?" Carla asked the both of them. The clock on the nightstand dividing the two beds read 11:49pm. "Yeah, I guess we should sleep now." Eren admitted. He hugged Mikasa, then jumped off her bed and onto his. Mikasa smiled at her mother, then started to pull on her covers, already half asleep. Eren was about to do the same, before pausing, and suddenly turning to his mother. He looked at her for a second, curiosity shining in his beautiful turquoise eyes. "When will dad be home?" He asked. The question Carla dreaded. She shifted her glance between the two of them, Eren's unwavering curiosity, and Mikasa's slight worry in her dark brown eyes. "Your father is on a very important business trip! He will be back this weekend, don't worry." She said. Mikasa still had a tint of worry in her eyes, but otherwise said nothing. Eren looked slightly deflated, but simply smiled and nodded his head, before pulling up his blanket. She smiled at both of them, before getting up and giving them both a kiss on the forehead. "Goodnight, and I'll see you two in the morning." She said. She turned to leave, and before turning the light off by the door, she turned around, looking back at her children. Her life. "I love you both." She said, and with that, she turned the light off, and shut the door. In the light of the moon shining through the light curtains, Eren turned on his side to look at Mikasa. "I think she was lying about dad." He whispered into the dark. Mikasa looked at him, and then turned onto her other side. "Go to sleep, Eren." She said. Eren furrowed his brows, before turning around too, and drifted off into blissful, unconscious sleep.

 _Eren panted. He couldn't see a thing. Everything seemed like it was blurry, and he felt as heavy as a boulder. He tried to lift his head, only to find he couldn't. So instead he tried to turn it, with success. He recognized his father standing in the side of the room, his back turned to Eren. He was muttering something, as he seemed to mix a bunch of ingredients together and put them all into a syringe. Eren was so enamored at looking at the bright green liquid being sucked into the syringe, that he didn't notice he was in the basement. His own home. Pain shot through his head, and he closed his eyes with a wince. The world started to turn, and he felt incredibly tired. "What happened?" He thought. The next time he opened his eyes, his father was standing right next to him, and only then did Eren realize he was lying down on an operating table. Panic shot through him as he saw it reflected in his father's brown eyes. Tears were streaming down his face, and his lips trembled as he tried to form words. "I'm so sorry." Eren heard his father whisper. A sharp pain was felt in his left arm, and Eren quickly turned his eyes down to see the syringe in his arm, its bright green fluid slowly leaving the vial, and going into him, before he had any time to react, it was all gone, and his blood was replaced with hot lava. He arched his back on the table, as the fire spread throughout every inch of his being. His eyesight wavered, and he shut his eyes tight and clenched his teeth and fists as he prepared to let out a scream of agony. But it never came, because he faded into unconsciousness. The last thing he saw was his father's grief stricken face, and the words "What have I done", echoed through his head. Then there was black._

Eren shot up in bed, drenched in sweat. Trying to catch his breath, he put his hand over his heart, feeling its unusually quick pace reverberate through his whole body. He was wide-awake, and he suddenly remembered his dream, fear shooting through him. He had that dream at least once a week. But this time, it seemed to be more vibrant, more painful than the last. He looked around at his clock. It read 2:30am. He then turned and looked at Mikasa, who was still sound asleep. He closed his eyes, still sitting up. His heart had just begun to stop thudding in his ears, when a peculiar thud from outside his room sparked his attention. He opened his eyes again, looking at the door. It was slightly ajar, even though Eren remembered his mother shutting it tight before leaving earlier that evening. Eren swallowed hard and quietly got up. He made his way to Mikasa, and gently shook her awake. She blearily opened her eyes, and looked up at Eren. Seeing his terror clear in the dark, she sat up. But Eren put a finger to his lips, and took her hand. Together, they slowly made their way out of their room, looking down the dark hallway, only to discover the light emanating from the downstairs living room. Normally, their mother kept her door shut as well when she slept. But the door to her room was wide open. "Maybe she couldn't sleep" Mikasa whispered in Eren's ear, tightening her grip on his arm. "No… Normally she puts on the TV when she goes downstairs," Eren replied. The two were perplexed at the seemingly odd situation, and decided to slowly make their way downstairs. Only 3 steps away from the ground level, the stair creaked moderately loud under the two sibling's feet, and all of a sudden, the lights went out. The two were smart enough to not make a sound, but quickly dove from the third step to behind the couch that was directly in front of the stairwell opening. They both had a strong feeling that their mother wasn't down here. Not breathing through their mouths, they sat low and close behind the couch and listened closely. Not too long later, they heard a faint breathing, slowly make its way toward their location. The two looked at each other in the dark, and slowly crawled underneath the table covered by a thick blanket by the couch. Mikasa made it safely underneath, while Eren paused, looking around. He noticed the back of someone's head, a male. He had dark hair, and while it was dark, he could make out pale skin. Very pale skin. He was now facing the stairwell, just standing there. Staring. A wave of pure terror washed over both children, Mikasa seeing the figure as well through a crack in the blanket. The figure took a deep breath through its nose, and tilted its head to the left. Eren knew. He knew it wasn't a normal person, and he knew it smelled them. He told Mikasa silently to stay there, and stay quiet. She looked at him in fear and confusion, and he signaled to the being. Before she could protest, Eren put the blanket down to cover Mikasa, and slowly made his way around the couch. He peered over. The being was still standing there, staring. Its eyes were reflective, a shiny grey looking up the stairwell. Eren thought of his mother, and his sister. Both could be victim to the seemingly harmful creature. Eren decided he would do something. Lure the monster away from his family. But how? He looked up. The front door was wide open. That's how this thing most likely got in. He thought. With a burst of bravery, Eren, jumped up, yelled out a cry, and ran for the door. He ran as fast as his 10 year old legs could carry him, and only looked back once he was out the door. Just as he wanted, the creature was chasing him. He kept running, but got a good look at it's face. It was horrible. Smeared with blood, the creature had dark grey eyes with large pupils. Its skin was blue, and drooped and wrinkled around its face. It occurred to Eren that it was an older man. It had dark short hair too, and was as skinny as a skeleton. Eren skidded to turn a corner, as now he was running down the street and into an alley way that led into a park. He was scared and confused. What was this thing? A zombie? His thoughts abruptly stopped when he realized he took the wrong turn into a dead-end alley. Oh no. He stopped, and quickly spun around. The creature caught up, and was now slowly walking towards him. Eren stared in disbelief. It looked like he was right, it was a zombie. But how on earth was it fast? And who's blood was on its face? A million questions raced through his mind, along with frantic looking around for a way out. There was none. He was cornered. The man-creature smiled. Its teeth were large and white, and occasionally smeared with blood. What humanoid creature was this exactly? Eren's back hit the wall behind him, and he sunk to his knees. Staring up at his end, he did nothing as the creature smiled down on him still, and licked its lips. Police sirens suddenly erupted, loud and clear. Relief flooded Eren, and he looked to see a flurry of cops run by the alley, toward his house's direction. His mom or Mikasa must have called 911. His relief was short lived, as a cold hand sharply grabbed his arm. The creature took his distraction to quickly bite Eren's left hand, right between the juncture of his thumb and wrist. Pain erupted through Eren's arm, and then throughout his body, and he slumped to the ground. Eyes wide open in shock, he heard a gunshot, and the creature quickly let him go, before turning at the sound, and challenging the officer at the end of the alley who fired. Eren's vision wavered. He held his hand, feeling his warm blood gushing out and onto the pavement. He looked down, seeing the entirety of the flesh and muscle around the bite gone, the bone exposed. Pain didn't just stop at his hand however, Eren felt it everywhere. He was frozen. On the ground, he couldn't move. He couldn't scream. He laid there, on the ground, feeling the world fade around him. Losing this much blood at this rate was dangerous for a boy his age. And the pain started to feel like lava. He knew the pain, is was the same he felt from earlier. From his dream. _From his memory._ A quick yelp left his throat as he flipped over on his back, convulsing. A weird sensation flooded through his body. He heard yells and gunshots in the distance, and he slowly and painfully turned his head, to see rushes of crowds running away from the direction of his house. Among the crowd, he saw a young girl being carried by an officer, a girl wearing a red scarf. That's funny, Mikasa had a red scarf hanging on the side of the door, that Eren had given to her some time ago. Eren silently prayed that it was Mikasa, and that she was okay. Eren pondered for a minute about his family. He wondered if he was going to die. He wondered if that creature was dead. And then, everything faded to black.


	4. Author's Note

Hey there folks!

So, from now on, I'll be updating this fic every Tuesday and Thursday at around 11pm. Hope it works out, and hope you all like it! Thank you!


	5. 7 Years Ago - Levi

_I do not own Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin or its characters. It belongs to Hajime Isayama._

 **Author's note: Hey guys! Wow, I can't believe the reception I'm getting so far for this story! Thank you so much, any feedback is appreciated :) See you all Thursday!**

Chapter 4: 7 Years Ago – Levi

 _Two months ago, an unknown creature was found around 3 o'clock in the morning wandering around a small city in Hamburg, Germany. It was discovered by local police officers when they got a strange 911 call from a neighbor's house about some odd man walking around and looking at houses. The creature was shot at numerous times, proving uneffective, and ended up killing more than 10, and injuring at least 15 civilians in the area. SWAT team personnel arrived on the scene quickly as things escalated, and were able to detain the creature. Investigators say it was a middle aged male, with a case of an unknown virus. Those injured by the creature seem to have a number of odd symptoms of this virus, doctors now saying—_

The TV screen went black. "Hey! I was watching that," Exclaimed Hanji. Levi looked at her condescendingly. He tossed the remote lightly on the kitchen counter. A group of close friends were over at his house, including his brother Farlan, Isabel Magnolia, Hanji Zoe, Petra Ral, Gunther Shultz, Erd Jinn, and Olou Bozado. They had been watching the horrible news over the past hour, about this weird disease or something that infected the civilians of some small city not too far from them. People were evacuating Hamburg pretty quickly, as the disease started showing up in lots of people with weird injuries. Doctors were baffled at the disease's infection rate increasing rapidly, and the unusual symptoms. A lot of people claimed the symptoms were like that of a zombie. What a load of bullshit. "Hey, maybe the apocalypse has finally started," joked Erd. "Don't say things like that!" Yelled Petra. "You never know! I mean, listen to what they were saying, people who get infected are acting really hostile, and almost insane! They keep going out and attacking more people! This stuff is weird!" She continued to say. Levi looked on uninterested. "It's all just bull shit." He said. Everyone looked at him. "Someone just got a bad case of food poisoning or something and now everyone's acting like it's a big deal." "But it is!" Exclaimed Hanji from her spot on the couch. She jumped up and leaned over the couch's back. "This is new! This sounds like a scientific breakthrough! Who knows if maybe this incident was brought by aliens? Or maybe there's something supernatural going on!" She continued to ramble, while someone knocked on the door. Levi walked over. They knocked again, more frantic this time. "I'm coming, don't get all fucking excited," Levi murmured under his breath. He opened the door to find his best friend, Erwin, leaning against the doorframe. Panic crossed his features. "We need to talk." He said. Levi let him in. "Are the others here?" Erwin questioned. "Yes? But, what's this about?" Levi replied. Erwin ignored the question and quickly walked into the other room. Levi followed. The others stared up at Erwin when he entered the room, Levi going to stand in front of him. "We have a job opportunity." Erwin simply stated. "Details later, this is big. It has to do with the viral infections going on in Germany. We have been requested by the United Nations to join a squad to protect civilians, and train military persons about the virus. So far they think it's going to be bad. You all in?" Everyone looked around in shock, especially Levi. They were fine not 5 minutes ago, talking about how ridiculous this virus must have been, and now they were being offered a job? A special unit job? All the previous militia operators looked back to Erwin. "I'm in." Erd said, stretching his arm over his head. The rest, save for Erwin, looked at him incredulously. Erd scrunched up his face. "What? It's a job!" We haven't been called out in forever! You yourself said this shit is just a dud, Levi!" They all turned to Levi, shock briefly showing on his normally stoic face. He cleared his throat, and turned to Erwin. "I guess he's right, so I'm in too." "Me too!" Farlan exclaimed. "Count me in!" Said Isabel too. Soon after, everyone agreed to do it. It was going to be a simple job anyways… right? "Alright then. Here's what we need to do…" Erwin began to explain.


	6. Present Day Thoughts

_I do not own Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin or its characters. It belongs to Hajime Isayama._

Chapter 5: Present Day Thoughts

 _Eren_

Eren stared blankly at the ceiling. It was quiet, but not peaceful. Ever since that day, there was no such thing as peace to him. He was in his house. In his room, lying on his bed. The dust in the air was so thick, that had Eren been human, he probably would have sneezed. Human. That word seemed foreign to him. At this point, he wouldn't even call himself human if anyone asked… not saying anyone would ask. He had been alone. For the past 7 years, he had sat in his bed, or wandered around his home, all alone. He remembers waking up one morning, 7 years ago, in an alley. It was cold and gloomy out, and loud and long sirens could be heard in the distance. His nostrils were filled with the smell of blood, and when he had emerged from the alley, his entire town had proved to be desolate. Abandoned, just like him. He had slowly made his way to his house, feeling incredibly strange. He felt slightly cold, and numb. His senses were slightly dulled in his opinion, as if he was dreaming. But he knew he wasn't. He had stopped in his tracks. The previous night's events came back to him at once. Pain shot through his head, and his left wrist as well. He glanced down at it. There was no bone exposed, no muscle and flesh and blood missing. He felt scared, but no blood pounding in his ears or racing heart rang through him. Really strange. He remembered the creature. Was it still here? Glancing up, he saw his house down the road. Door still ajar, almost like it was last night. Anger coursed through his body, stronger than he had ever felt it before. He ran. Ran as fast as he could towards his house, determined to fight the creature if it was still there. Within a matter of seconds, he was at his doorstep. He wondered if his anger helped give him better running skills? Eren paused. Listening. Nothing. Not a single sound. He looked around at his surroundings. Cloudy sky, birds chirping, a couple bugs flying around over by the plants. Nature was still alive. But what about his family? He crossed the door's threshold. He recognized the same smell from the alley. Blood. Eren wanted to take a deep breath, only to find he couldn't. He physically couldn't. Instead of thinking too much about it though, he took slow and deliberate steps through the hall. His hearing was pretty good, so he was able to sense that no one else was in his house. Who's blood did he smell? He crossed the hall, and turned the corner. At this moment, many things happened at once. For starters, Eren saw the mangled and torn-apart remains of his mother on the ground in the living room. Her upper body was completely detached from the lower, and her blood pooled around her, and around half of the room. Next, Eren fell to his knees, and grief, pain, and supreme anger filled his being. In an instant, shock added to those feelings, as he realized he couldn't cry. Everything clicked into place. His hand. His blood. His life. That creature did something to him. He should have been dead, like his mother, but he wasn't. His hand flew up to his chest, pressing hard on the spot over his heart. Nothing. No pulse. He couldn't cry. No tears could fall down his face. Slowly, he crawled over to what was left of his mother. _This isn't real,_ he thought. _This can't be the end._ Stopping a few feet away, he looked at his reflection in the pool of bright crimson blood below him. His eyes. They weren't the beautiful blue-green they had always been. They were grey. A deep, sickening grey, immediately reminding Eren of the creature. He was one of them. He snapped his hands up to his face, covering his eyes so he couldn't see the reflection. He couldn't do anything. He sat there, confused, angry, sad. This was impossible. What could he do? During the midst of his grief, he smelled the blood again. Now that he thought of it, it was a different smell. It was the smell of blood, but instead of making him feel sick… It smelled good. Eren uncovered his eyes. _No._ He thought. Before he could smell it any more, he threw himself away from the ugly scene burned into his mind, and ran up the stairs. He collapsed on his bed, in his room. Overwhelming emotions cascaded his being, and for the next couple of months, he stayed still. In that same spot. Over the course of 7 years, Eren still grew. He still matured, mentally and physically. He found he didn't need anything to survive, but to survive. He didn't breathe, didn't eat, drink, sleep, use the bathroom, nothing. He was alone. And although he could still feel emotions, he practiced the art of controlling them, and making himself into a zombie. Literally. Over the course of those dreadful and agonizing 7 years, he only left his house to go to his school. He would collect books and work to self teach himself things when he got bored, but every night, at 11:49pm, he was always back in his bed. Staring up at the ceiling, and stayed there until 2:30am. He thought it was crazy, but what else would he do? He was a monster. And the world was cruel to leave him alone. Sometimes he wondered what was happening in the rest of the world, but he was too scared to make any contact. So he kept his routine, and waited for a death that would most likely never come.

 _Levi_

Levi looked out the window at the gloomy sky. _I can't believe it's been 7 years,_ He thought. Seven years ago, his peace was interrupted by Erwin, who came to his house and told him and their friends of an epidemic beginning to start. Apparently, some sort of creature had sprung up in Hamburg, Germany, and infected a bunch of people, basically turning them into creatures as well. The creatures were fast. And they had a hard time dying, so they grew in population. Now, almost the entirety of Europe was in sheer panic. The Leaders of United Nations recruited Levi and his friends as the Survey Corps, a group of specially skilled fighters and strategists to help fight against these monsters. There were other, bigger groups as well. But they were more loosely based on civilians who wanted to take a stand. The Survey Corps members were all previous military people who had served their time. They were the best of the best, and entrusted with Humanity's survival. They were stationed in Paris, France, and their headquarters was a big, beautiful building that ran underground, and held one of the most complex and safe security systems in the world. Evacuated civilians from any country were placed in another based on where their family ancestry was. Before being let into the country, each person had to go through a sort of customs, which lasted a couple hours and was mainly tedious medical checkups. So far, the survey corps were the most successful fighters in the "war against Titans." That's what these things were called, Titans. They were savage humanoid beasts that could only be killed when sliced through the back of their neck with a sharp item made of silver. Many scientists were unsuccessful in learning anything about these creatures, all except for Hanji Zoe, The lead scientist in the survey corps. All of these thoughts flowed through Levi's mind, looking out that window from his quarters on the 8th floor of the 20 floor building. Each day was a routine for the Survey Corps. Wake up, 30 minutes taken for personal time, building check up, breakfast, training, current events or updates on the war's status, lunch, more training, meeting potential new recruits, dinner, and bed. That was it. Each day. Levi hated it. He hated the war. He hated Titans. They killed more than 200 million people so far, and the numbers were rising each day. Levi had dedicated the past 7 years of his life to learning everything possible about these creatures. The only happiness he ever found now, was whenever they went on a mission outside the walls surrounding Paris- built 6 years ago solely for the protection of the city and its inhabitants- and he got to kill some Titans. He was named Humanity's strength. Being the best fighter, and having killed the most Titans out of anyone on this world, Levi was well respected, and well feared by all. He was a wonderful leader, always putting his team before himself. Levi was jarred out of his thoughts with a knock at his door. He looked up, cleared his throat lightly, and said "Come in." It was Erd. "Sir, we have been requested by commander Erwin to meet together in the mission room." "Thank you Erd. I'll be right down," Levi replied. Erd left with a polite bow and softly shut the door behind him. Levi stood and stretched, before making his way across the room. _Finally. I can't wait to get outside and do some actual fighting today._ Levi thought. Normally, he treated fighting Titans as a way to blow off steam or sate his boredom. Within a couple minutes, he was down in the Mission room. He sat down in one of the nice swivel chairs, and greeted his troops with a nod. "Hello Corporal!" "Good morning Corporal!" They said collectively. They all looked around at each other, their eyes silently speaking to one another about the excitement over a mission. They hadn't had one in close to a month. Erwin entered the room. Everyone stiffened in their seat, and gave him their full attention. "Sorry to call all of you in on such short notice. Dr. Hanji and I just had a meeting on potential missions, and she brought to my attention that her research could be better improved with samples and documentation from the original site in Hamburg. That is your mission today. You are all to report to the stock room, restock your 3-D Maneuvering Gear, Collect spare swords, and supply yourselves for a weeklong trip to Hamburg. Once there, Each of you will be responsible for your own task. Corporal Levi, please assign the tasks to you troops as you see fit, and then head on your way. Good luck, and Godspeed." With those parting words, Erwin rushed out of the room, as was normal per mission briefing. They wanted to spend as little time as possible, but make sure they knew what they were doing. Levi looked around at his cadets. They were all here, and he stood up, and began to assign them tasks. "Petra, you're in charge of using a camera to document the site. Erd…" he continued. Once he had assigned them each a task, they were all sent to complete their restock of weapons and supplies. Levi followed behind. On the way down to the 2nd floor to the stock room, he was joined by Dr. Hanji. "HELLO LEVI!" She yelled excitedly. Levi grimaced at her loudness. "What do you want, shitty glasses?" He said as she rapidly approached him. "What? I'm coming with you guys! That's what I want!" She claimed. Before Levi could protest, she jumped away, and down to the stock room. Levi sighed. She wanted the mission in the first place, but whenever she came along she always got herself into some kind of trouble, leaving someone to go and save her. Levi didn't want to do that today.

After an hour, the squad was equipped with their weapons and supplies. They piled into the main elevator, and went up to the roof where the private jet pad was stationed. Levi listened to some of the small chat made by his troops. "I can't believe we get a chance to see where this all started!" "I know, but aren't you a little scared? What if it's infested with Titans?" "THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC! WHAT IF WE COULD TAKE SOME HOME?" Levi scoffed and turned to Hanji, who was the last to comment. "Obviously we won't be taking any home this week Hanji, that's not our mission." He turned around with a ding of the elevator. Hanji stuck out her tongue at his dark haired undercut. "I saw that." He said. The others laughed, and soon they were on their way.

The plane took off with a burst of air from the engines, and everyone calmly made himself or herself situated in their seats. It was a nice plane, with comfortable leather chairs and tables to accommodate little lounges. The Survey Corps was provided with the best, as they constantly put their lives out on the line. "We should arrive in Hamburg in about an hour." Said the pilot over the speaker in the plane. Levi looked out the window from his seat. The ground was far away, and the plane slowly ascended over the clouds. The sun was high in the sky from what he could see, and he turned away, closing his eyes, and awaiting their arrival.


	7. Meetings

Chapter 6: Meetings

 _I do not own Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin or its characters. It belongs to Hajime Isayama._

Author's Note

 **Hello everyone! I'm so surprised at the feedback I've gotten; I didn't think I'd get anything haha! I'm eternally grateful for everything, and I always will listen to any corrections or suggestions you guys have. :) Thank you all, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

The plane landed after a little while, and the group began to get up and stretch. They air surrounding them all was slightly tense, as it always was before the official start of a mission. After a couple minutes of checking luggage and preparing weapons and devices, they made a line to exit the plane, and into the foggy air of Germany. Levi glanced at his surroundings and scowled. There was an unfriendliness about the settings of trees and abandoned buildings around the airport.

Hanji excitedly ran ahead of the rest of the group, brandishing a camera from her bag, and whipping her head around at everything to take close looks. The group arrived into the terminal lobby, and stopped to listen to Levi's further instruction. "We get as far into the city as we can tonight, I highly doubt we will actually reach our destination until a couple days from now. Be cautious of everything, we don't quite know what we are dealing with." They all nodded, and proceeded to head out into the city, unaware of the history being made with every step closer they took.

Within a couple hours, they covered quite a lot of ground. They passed by many rural communities, a couple shopping centers, and had now entered into a forest-like area. Gunther checked his map. "We seem to have traveled around 7 or so miles from the airport. Do you want to keep going captain?" He asked. Levi looked around. At the edge of the forest was likely the safest, in case they needed to make a swift get away from either side. "Yes, we can camp out here for the night." He answered. The rest of the team took this order in silence, the only noise resonating in the forest was the chirps of birds and rustling of leaves in the cool wind. "How long until we reach the point of origin?" Erd asked. "About 4 miles from here, so not long. We should be there tomorrow." Levi silently acknowledged this. He hoped they wouldn't have trouble tomorrow.

 _Eren_

As per his routine, Eren laid in his bed. Staring aimlessly at his ceiling. The 17 year old kept extremely still, listening to the sounds of nature outside his house. The house's exterior had grown weeds and cracks, because no one tended to it in 7 years. _That's mom's job._ Eren thought. He didn't feel sad anymore. Sometimes, when he let his emotions show, he portrayed anger. Never fear, as his greatest fears already happened. He didn't think much about the outside world. He didn't find himself caring too much anymore.

At 2:30am, as usual, he slowly got up. Silently, he reenacted his behavior from that fateful night. He crouched over by Mikasa's bed, and within a couple minutes he wandered slowly downstairs. He ducked behind the couch. He crept around, and then dashed to the open front door, and ran to the alley. The reenactment could never be 100% correct, as it took him 2 seconds rather than 2 minutes to reach the alley due to his inhuman speed. He reached the opening to the alley. Slowly, he walked to the wall at the end. His eyes were like slits, his grey irises peeking out at the bottom, and his face devoid of emotion. He hung his head, brown hair cascading his forehead, but never going past his ears. Here, he stood and listened.

Something happened, that had not happened in 7 whole years. Eren slowly lifted his head, and opened his eyes slightly more to look up at the dark night. He tilted his head, and listened. He was correct in what he heard. Not too far away… _voices._ He wondered, was he going crazy? Or was this finally his chance at interaction? Were they humans? Were they the creatures? _Could they kill me?_ All these thoughts raced through his mind. Adrenaline raced through his veins, but not his heart, as he propelled himself off the ground, and towards the sound.

The squad was wide awake, now. Petra checked her watch. 2:50am. Erd woke the team up, yelling and tripping out of his tent. The entire team took a matter of 3 seconds to jump out and at the ready with guns trained on the scene. It turned out a small sparrow flew into the tent, and as soon as they all noticed, numerous sighs of exasperation echoed through the site, and they lowered their weapons. Levi was a little pissed. "Erd, you scared us all!" Petra scolded. "I'm sorry, I didn't know!" He replied, putting his hands up in defense. Levi rolled his eyes. You think a titan is a 5 inch flying fat blob?" Hanji snickered. Erd just grunted and sat down, head in his hands. The fire that had been lit was still there, but slightly dying down, and the group went to sit around it. Levi sat down, once he checked the campsite, and made sure his crew was okay. There was no use in going back to sleep now, with all of them riled up.

Hanji began excitedly spewing one of her crazy stories of titans and her experience with them. Most of the team groaned, except for Levi. Who closed his eyes and tuned her out. He suddenly heard a small snap of a branch, and in the same second jumped up and trained his gun on the trees behind them. Behind him, the group stood shocked at attention, and drew their weapons too. "Did you hear that?" Levi asked out loud. They all glanced at each other. "Not really sir?" Was the reply. "A branch snapped. It's dark out there, we might need to move back." The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He backed in line with his troops, all had their eyes and weapons steadily trained on the darkness of the forest slightly below them.

Eren cursed to himself mentally. He had located the source of the voices. It was a camp of humans, a bunch of tents and a small fire set up by the forest entrance behind his town. He got extremely curious, and didn't notice the medium sized branch he was about to step on while his thoughts raced. He had glanced down, only to glance back up and realize the noise caused them all to stand at attention and glance in his direction. They all pointed guns. Eren froze in place, not making another move. He suspected they couldn't see him, as they didn't fire. They started whispering, and Eren took the short time to debate something in his mind.

He had showered and changed his clothes in the past day, so he looked fairly presentable as a human. His skin was pale, but in his opinion, not abnormally so. When he had seen his mirror reflection, he noted that his eyes were not glazed over, and his pupils were still dark and functional, so he wouldn't appear dead. With hesitance, but curiosity winning his choice, he put his hands up in a defensive pose, and silently walked forward.

Levi stopped whispering orders to his team. He glanced once more in front of him. "Captain!" He heard Gunther whisper in panic. He didn't glance behind, but felt his team stiffen up slightly and trained his eyes back in the forest. Someone was there, and they were walking towards them. "Who are you?" Levi called out. "Say something, or we will shoot."

 _Crap._ Eren thought. He hasn't said anything in 7 years. What would his voice sound like? He went out on a limb and spoke up. "Please don't shoot." His voice sounded slightly raspy, but, from what he remembered, like his own voice, but deeper.

Levi's eyes widened slightly. Confusion swirled in his mind. A teenager came into the light of the forest, and slowly stopped in front of the camp where they stationed. The group was completely silent, and looked around at each other in the same kind of confusion. "Are you human?" Petra asked, slightly afraid.

Eren thought of that for a second. _Might as well._ He thought. "Yes, I am." He answered to the strawberry blonde girl.

"How the hell are you out here?" Said another of the humans. This one caught Eren's attention. He was Eren's height, had sleek black hair in an undercut, and had stormy blueish eyes that were hardened and analyzing every one of Eren's moves. His skin was flawless and pale, and he seemed well fit. For a second of distraction, Eren mentally noted how attractive he was.

"I…" He stammered. "I hid." He stated blankly. The group looked at each other again. This time, a brunette, with glasses spoke up. "Oh, come on you guys! He's obviously not a titan. Put your guns down and welcome the guy!" They slowly complied, and Eren took this time to lower his hands. They were all staring at him. Shock, and disbelief, and also confusion, Eren recognized.

"How did you hide? And from what?" The same glasses girl asked. Eren opened his mouth, but no sound came out for a couple seconds. "I stayed in an alley. And I don't know. Some thing, some creature, but it left after a while." Before anyone could respond to him, Hanji bounded over, and took Eren's hand. She felt his wrist, then looked into his eyes. Eren felt nervous for a minute. She had a weird look on her face, but turned around and said "He's fine! Come over and introduce yourselves!" To her other friends. She didn't let go of Eren's arm, but he didn't notice, as the others came closer and surrounded him. "This is Petra, Gunther, Erd, Olou, Isabel, Farlan, and Levi. I'm Hanji." She explained.

She went on to explain how they were here on a mission, and they were apart of the military. Eren understood most of her, except when she started talking about "titans." What the hell are those? Instead of asking, Eren just listened, and sat down when they offered him a seat in front of the fire. They all asked him questions, like where he was from and when he got here. He mainly replied the truth, about him living in this city, but he didn't explicitly say where. He told them he was 17, and that he didn't remember much about the creature. They all seemed to accept him, except for their captain, Levi, who eyed him warily.

"Well, it's almost sunrise. We should start up again." Levi explained. They group all got up, and started packing up. Eren silently stood to the side, helping out a little here and there. "I guess you'll have to come with us, we don't want you getting lost or hurt, okay?" Petra softly told Eren. The group seemed kind, and acted like he was not a threat. Eren was amazed. As they all started walked down into the forest, Levi tugged on Eren's arm. He glanced down, and then up at Levi. He had a passive look on his face. "I'm keeping an eye on you. Stay with me." He said. And let go of his arm. Hanji looked at them, and giggled. Levi swung, but missed hitting her with his bag. Eren was confused, but noted he felt weird. He felt emotions he never felt before. One thing was for certain.

This would get interesting.


	8. New

Chapter 7: New

 _I do not own Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin or its characters. It belongs to Hajime Isayama._

 **Author's Note**

 **Oh my gosh you guys! I absolutely love every review I get, I never cease to smile when I read them :) Please continue to correct anything, or give me suggestions on what you want to see! And always hit that like button, if you deem me worthy XD Love you guys! And I hope you enjoy the next chapter! Maybe I'll post another one this weekend, or sooner than Tuesday!**

After the strange meeting of the new boy, the team packed all of their things and began to trek down the forest. Levi decided to keep the boy with him, in the back of the group with Hanji, so he could keep a close watch. Olou spoke up. "Hey kid, we never got YOUR name!" The group nodded in agreement, and Hanji and Levi turned to look at Eren. "Eren… My name is Eren." He answered. They didn't really ask for a last name, so he didn't give one. He was still in shock that ACTUAL HUMANS were here. He hadn't seen a soul in his town after 7 years. Now he was pretending he was one, and he planned on finding out about what happened while he… was unaware of the outside world.

"Why are you guys here, may I ask?" Eren stammered out quietly. Hanji got a wicked smile on her face, that slightly frightened Eren. Levi must of noticed this, as he mumbled something like "don't scare the kid, Hanji." She spoke up. "As we explained before, we are here on a military mission to find and exterminate or capture the Titans in the place of their origin!" Eren scrunched his eyebrows. _Titans? The fuck?_ He spoke up. "What are titans?" He asked as genuinely as he could. They all stopped, and slowly turned around to look at him. Shock was evident on their faces. "You don't know what Titans are? You're joking. Where have you been for the past 7 years?" Erd demanded. Eren opened his mouth, then shut it, and looked down. He needed to make up an easy lie.

"I just remember being chased by some… weird thing, but then it left me once I ran into an alley, and that was it." He simply stated. They all gave wary looks. Levi spoke up. "That's it? What do you mean? That's all you remember? Of your whole life?" Eren lowered his eyes. He whispered "I remember who I am, but other than that, yes." Hanji had lost her smile, but unlike the others had pure curiosity and interest shining on her face. Levi stared at Eren. He mentally took note of his pale skin, lightish grey eyes, and almost… abnormally still posture. He felt something was off about the boy. But he didn't say anything about loud. He rather gave Hanji a brief look, noting she was assessing him too. Petra spoke up. "Well don't worry! You don't have to remember everything right away. We can get you examined by Hanji when we get back!" Eren shot his head up and looked at her. There was no malice on her face, or on any other face in the group. They all seemed sincere.

But one thing resonated in his mind. _Go with them? Leave my home?_ He didn't disagree, and his silence gave Levi another opportunity to make a decision. "We should head back. Call the mission a success, since we found a living human, and found no sources of Titans inhabiting the area. Maybe now we can get more troops to come and check this place out." They all nodded, and started walking back from where they came.

A little while later, they arrived at the airport, and took the time to walk through, and board their plane. The pilot was inside, as he stayed guarding the plane and giving maintenance to it while the troops were away. Eren looked at the fair size of the plane as he slowly walked next to Captain Levi, his nervousness slightly showing. "It's okay to be scared you know." Levi whispered to Eren. Eren whipped his head around to assess Levi, who was curiously looking him up and down. For the first time in 7 years, Eren felt that if he could blush, he'd be doing that right now. "I'm just nervous, since I don't remember." He replied. Levi pondered this as they boarded the plane slower than the rest of the crew.

"We still have a lot to learn about each other, and you still need to be checked out by Hanji when we get back. So don't worry about things too much, okay?" He told Eren calmly. Eren mentally took a deep breath. He actually thought he should pretend he was doing so, so he faked a real deep breath, to keep his "human" figure non-suspicious. He was almost certain Levi went slightly rigid in surprise.

On the plane ride to base, which would be a couple hours, Eren glanced from his cozy leather chair in the back of the plane to the middle aisle. The rest of the team was very relaxed, sleeping mostly, on their own seats and couches. The only ones awake were Petra, Hanji, and Levi. Petra and Hanji giggled quietly in the upper seats of the cabin, and Levi stood and slowly made his way to the back where Eren was. He sat in the seat opposite Eren, and relaxed slightly. "Won't you sleep? We've got a while." He asked. Eren smirked a little, knowing the true answer to that question.

"Yeah, I guess. But honestly, I don't know how all of you are so... relaxed about all of this. I didn't even know there was a war going on." Levi gazed into Eren's eyes, searching. What he was searching for, was beyond Eren's knowledge, but he looked away, feeling shy.

"Like I said, once everything else is taken care of, we will explain more in depth. Don't worry." He finished his sentence off with a small smile. Had Eren's heart been beating, it would've skipped, he thought. Both he and Levi glanced in Petra and Hanji's direction when they heard a suspiciously loud giggle, to find they were both focused on them. Levi quickly stood, and regarded Eren with another awkward smile before going back to his seat, and giving Petra and Hanji a look that silenced them. Eren was slightly confused, but looked out the window. _The world outside my home is beautiful…_ He thought. And he closed his eyes, feigning sleep. These feelings, and fake actions, were all new. He wondered if he would have to get used to them.


	9. What Do We Do Now?

Chapter 8: What Do We Do Now?

 _I do not own Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin or its characters. It belongs to Hajime Isayama._

 **Author's note~**

 **Thank you all sooo much for your support! I love you all, and I love the reviews! Tell me anything you want to see, or if you want to correct. See you Thursday! :)**

* * *

The group landed at their base not too long after the plane ride. Everyone stretched and seemed well rested after a long nap, except for Eren, who simply stood up stiffly and was the last to exit the plane.

Petra and Olou took one of Eren's arms each, and began a wild description of their base, whisking him off and into the large building. Levi caught a glimpse of wide light grey eyes filled with slight panic and confusion, before he looked down and smirked.

The rest of the team, save Hanji, slowly entered the building, and went to their respective quarters. Levi and Hanji entered the elevator, and pressed the button that would take them down to her lab. Before the elevator reached the floor, Levi hit the emergency off switch to the elevator, where the lights went out, and the carriage stopped moving. This also caused the security cameras to not work as well.

He slowly turned to Hanji, his features showing concern. She was slightly shocked. "What is it, Levi?" She asked almost too innocently. "You know what I'm going to say. You saw the way he acted too." Hanji's face brightened with a small smile. "Pale skin, grey eyes, unnatural posture, and weird backstory? Well Levi, I'm afraid that it might just have to be you, me, and Erwin giving him the exam." Levi raised one eyebrow. "What do you expect to be the outcome of this, Doctor?" Their conversation was very light, and the two of them both took more meaning than explicitly stated in their replies.

"Peace, and lots of research. Plus, that's mainly up to Erwin." Levi still didn't budge. "Oh come on shitty glasses. I saw from the moment you laid eyes on him, you would beg for him to stay and be one of your creepy experiments." Hanji burst into laughter. "OKAY! You got me. Yes, I'm very intrigued, and I want this to go well so I can test him! But, Even I know how dangerous it can be." She finished lightly. Levi hummed quietly, seemingly surprised by Hanji's maturity in all of this.

He switched the emergency button back on, and the cart began to move downward, until it dinged, and they left the elevator, and prepared Hanji's lab for Eren.

Eren was weary by the time he reached the main elevator to report to Hanji and Levi after the tour with Petra and Olou. The two never stopped talking to take a breath, which was an admirable, but time consuming feat for Eren. He was instructed to take the elevator down to the 9th floor below the lobby, where he would be examined by Hanji.

Realizing he couldn't escape, he slowly made his way on the elevator. The doors were about to shut, and his mind started to race again, and he felt numb. There was no way that they wouldn't find out he was not normal. He wondered what they would do. Most of Eren hoped they would kill him quickly; in fact, he perked up at that thought. But then he thought that maybe they would test on him, or torture him, and he quickly started to panic.

In his musing of panic, he didn't notice the tan hand that stopped the doors from closing, and the tall, sturdy blonde that stepped inside the car with him. "Floor 9, please." He said politely. Eren snapped out of his stupor, and numbly pressed the button for floor 9, as he hadn't before. Within a few seconds, the man slowly looked over at Eren.

Luckily for Eren, the man didn't notice how Eren wasn't breathing, or that his eyelids never blinked, because he spoke up, which snapped Eren into his "normal" acting anyways. "You're going to floor 9 too?" The man asked in a deep, baritone voice. Eren shyly looked up. "Ye-yes." He stammered. _Why did I stammer?_ He guessed the man was just intimidating. "Ah, then you must be the new kid my squad discovered," He held out a broad hand. "My name is Erwin. Commander Erwin, and I run this building." Eren swore he felt himself pale even more.

"Ah, hello." He meekly replied, shaking the hand. Erwin chuckled lightly, leaving Eren slightly confused. The doors suddenly opened, and Erwin walked briskly out. Eren walked at a much slower pace, taking in his surroundings. _They might be my last_ , he mused. "EREN, COME SIT!." He heard a boisterous and energetic voice as he stepped into the bright white lab. Levi was leaning on a table, and Erwin was looking up at a screen, while the source of the noise, Hanji, bounded over to Eren and grabbed his hand.

"Now Eren. We don't want you to worry, okay? We wont do anything bad, and anything said in this room does not go beyond it. Okay?" Eren was slightly shocked, but suspicious. Did she know anything already? "Okay." He replied. "Good!" She said, and brought him over to the table Levi leaned on. As he went to sit down, Erwin pressed a couple buttons, and the doors automatically sealed and locked, and a bunch of equipment came out from a closed drawer.

Eren gulped involuntarily. Levi looked over at him. "Don't look so scared kid. Its just for your protection." Eren looked over at him. He was really close, and being in Levi's presence somehow calmed Eren a lot. He gave Levi a small smile, which was returned. Hanji brought a wheely table over to Eren, and he knew soon, it would be the end for him.

"I'm just going to do a full body scan, okay Eren?" He nodded, digging his grave in even more. Levi crossed his arms, and with a weird look on his face, walked over to Erwin to stand next to him. They shared a glance, before returning their attention to Eren.

Hanji put a heart monitor on Eren's arm, and attached some nodes to his head and chest underneath his shirt. He saw that they weren't plugged in, and he looked up at the ceiling, before closing his eyes and lowering his head. Levi and Erwin looked at Hanji, then she shook Eren lightly. "You okay?" she asked, slightly concerned. "Just get it over with." He whispered. Hanji shared a grim look with Levi and Erwin.

Okay, I'm plugging them in now. She said. Eren cringed slightly, but felt at peace. He really hoped his death would be swift, at Levi's hands. Hanji, Levi and Erwin all stood erect, impatient, and aware of what would likely happen. Erwin was informed through a call, before the plane even took off in Germany.

Hanji plugged in the machines, and one by one, they all started flashing red. The heart monitor sounded a steady beep, signifying Eren's non-beating heart. The nodes attached to his brain, showed increased brain activity, and the blood pressure monitor and temperature regulator showed he had no blood pressure, and a temperature too low for a human to survive on. The room was deathly quiet, except for the machines. Hanji, Levi and Erwin all stared, shocked at Eren. He raised his head, and opened his eyes.

"Please, just kill me." He asked, voice cracking with desperation. Hanji unplugged the machines, and slowly made her way over to him. She gently touched his arm, and looked at his face. Levi and Erwin stood warily, now that their suspicions were confirmed. "You're a titan, aren't you Eren?" She asked quietly. Eren looked at her, and then at the other two. If he could cry, he would at this moment. "Please… I never asked for this…" He said, voice heavy with sadness again. Levi uncrossed his arms, and made his way over to Eren.

"Eren… You realize this is unheard of. Titans are supposed to be… monsters. You aren't a monster." Eren looked at him, suddenly feeling a bit tired. "I…" He was lost for words. Erwin cleared his throat, and the three looked over at him. "Eren, you won't be killed. Like Hanji said, what happens in this room, stays in this room. We have a lot to learn from you, if you'll help us. I'd like to negotiate a position with you, here at this operation. But the first question is, what will you do now?"

The three superiors looked at Eren. His grey eyes were filled with dread, but he swallowed his fear. And opened his mouth. "I'll help you." He said, shakily. Erwin gave a soft smile, and Levi touched Eren's shoulder softly. "Okay Eren. Let's start, on how this happened."


	10. Author's Note 2

Hey Guys! CorporalSunglasses here!

So SOO SOO sorry for all the lateness. Summer's been crazy, what with it being my last summer before college, and I'm finishing up homework and career path stuff! Forgive me!

I'll be honest. The reviews, and all the support I'm getting are absolutely amazing. You all are my passion, and my drive. I am in the process of planning out how the story will go, and I was also wondering if any of you guys have suggestions? Wants? Lemme know in the comments :)

Again, thank you to those who are devoted, and patient. I hope to have at least the next 2 chapters posted by Friday, and maybe another on Sunday! If I could, I'd give you all cookies right now! Thank you for your time, and see ya soon!

Love ya!


	11. Not Human

Chapter 9: Not Human

 **Author's note -**

 **Hey guys! Thank you all again for waiting! Next chapter in a couple hours!**

 _I do not own Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin or its characters. It belongs to Hajime Isayama._

* * *

After explaining what he remembered, and had gone through the past years, Eren was mentally drained. Hanji, Erwin, and Levi listened patiently and attentively, but Eren didn't miss the looks of shock or horror on their faces at some points. When he finished telling his story, Erwin clapped him on the shoulder, and told him he was brave, and strong to go through all that and still want to fight the good fight.

After which, Hanji explained she would be Eren's sole doctor, and would write up his medical tests as fine, so no one would get suspicious if he hadn't had any at all. She also suggested Eren use contacts, or make up gradually, as to look more human if he was going to stay at headquarters surrounded by humans-professionally-trained-to-kill his-kind.

Levi must have seen the wariness in Eren's eyes, as he suggested he show Eren to his room, and save the rest of their conversation for tomorrow, much to Eren's relief. While he did feel tired, he was also relieved that everything happened the way it did. He didn't get tortured, or attacked, and even though he did want his life to end… He was glad that at least while he lived, he could help with the cause against the titans.

Walking into the elevator with Levi, Eren felt slightly awkward as they stood alone in the car, and silently waited to go to the correct floor. "So, your room will be across the hall from mine," Levi stated firmly. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to knock, but I'll keep an eye on you." He finished. Eren didn't feel the need to say anything, but instead, focused on the weird feeling blossoming in the pit of his stomach. Was it anxiety? It kind of felt like it, but less… dreadful. He had never felt this emotion, until recently. Through his ponderings, Eren also didn't realize that Levi was still talking to him, and blinked up to meet Levi's stormy blue eyes staring back at him, concern seeming to be in their pits. Eren was taken aback once he noticed how close they were, and awkwardly, Levi stepped back.

"Are you okay? You blanked out a bit." He asked Eren, eyes scanning his face. "Oh, it's nothing, I'm sorry." Eren quickly replied. He definitely didn't feel well now. Levi looked him over once more, before letting the behavior drop. They arrived at the floor.

Eren was shown to his room, and thanked Levi, before stepping inside, door closed behind him. It was a fair sized room, with simple furniture. In the back left corner, there was a bed, and a small lamp on the side table next to it. Straight to the back wall was a large window, which overlooked a section of the headquarters below him. In the right side was a dresser, and a mirror. Everything was cleaned to perfection, and Eren took an unnecessary sigh. This was his home now.

A knock sounded at his door. He blinked twice, slightly confused, and went to open it. It was Levi's team. Petra stood in the front, a big friendly smile on her face. "You found your room! We heard you were being put on our team, this is great! Welcome Eren!" She exclaimed cheerfully. Eren was taken back, but smiled softly. The others seemed relaxed, and offered small smiles too. "Thank you so much, but I'm a little nervous. I don't even know what to do now." Eren revealed. Gunther chuckled. "Why don't you come join us? It's not quite bedtime yet, and I'm sure we can find something fun to do," He said. Olou spoke up. "Yeah! Maybe grab a bite to eat and hit the entertainment center?" They all nodded, and Eren had stepped out of the doorway to join them in the hall. He froze. He didn't need to eat, and he couldn't look suspicious. What can he say to get out of that? "Um.." He stammered, but they were all down the hall already, Erd grabbing Eren's arm and tugging him along.

"What are you all doing?" A voice suddenly asked out. They all turned to see Levi standing by Eren's door, arms crossed, and a face that held no emotion. "We were going to get Eren something to eat, and then hang out in the entertainment room! Is that alright sir?" Petra asked politely. "Yes, he can join you in the Entertainment room. But I think he can stay with me, I will show him to the cafeteria." Levi simply stated. Eren was still in the throws of nerves, so he just gaped between the group and the Corporal. They didn't seem to mind the offer, so they said their "see ya's", and went on their merry way.

Eren turned around at Levi, who unfolded his arms and nodded his head for Eren to follow. It only took him a second to reach Levi's side, which caused Levi to glance curiously at him for a moment. "I figured you can plan on what you're going to do about eating human food tonight, rather than be sucked in a social situation," He said. "Thank you so much sir, I'm sorry I-.." Eren replied, trailing off. Levi furrowed his brows and waved his hand. "Don't worry, it's fine." He stated. Eren felt less worried at that statement alone, like he always did around Levi.

Together, they made their way into a new hallway, and Levi opened a door in front of them. Inside was a neat office, which, like his room, was spotless, and organized to perfection. The furniture was nicer, and Levi went to sit at a couch, motioning for Eren to follow. _This must be Levi's office._ Eren mused. He wondered if Levi kept it this clean, and if so, if he had some obsession with cleaning. He guessed he'd find out later.

They sat on the dark brown couch, Levi crossing on leg and leaning back, relaxing. Eren observed him, concentrating on mirroring his posture. Levi must have guessed this, because he curiously looked at Eren, and smiled. "You look like a tree trying to learn to sit." He chuckled. Eren's face contorted to alarm. "I don't really grasp normal human posture sir." He said to Levi. He decided to just stay still, to not risk looking more foolish.

"When it's just us, call me Levi," he said, "And just relax. Pretend like you're breathing." Eren tried to comply.

He focused his attention to the floor, and slouched his back ever so slightly. He took a deep breath, and kept using his diaphragm to look more… human. "How's this?" He asked. Levi's eyes raked over his form, before he gave an approving nod. "Need's some work, but not totally bad." He said. Eren started to feel… sick. Like earlier. He wondered if this was something he should tell Hanji.

"So, Eren. To clarify, you are a member of my team. My team is composed of some of the best fighters and intelligence against titans I know. This place will be your home, for hopefully until this war ends, which will be soon." Levi stated calmly. He gave Eren a few seconds to process things. "Do you have any questions? I know you've had a very overwhelming day."

Eren thought for a second. He looked back up at Levi, and then shrugged. "Do you think I can really make a difference?" He asked him. Levi raised his chin, eyes never breaking contact.

Dark, stormy blue, locked with light, bloodless silver.

"I believe you're humanity's hope, Eren." Levi replied, not saying anything else. "You should probably make your way down to the entertainment room now, the team's probably waiting." He continued, their gaze breaking. "Right." Eren said simply. They both got up, Eren standing a little too fast, before he turned a worried gaze to Levi. They were the same height.

"I'll be as human as I can." He said, Levi noting a dull, but existent fire sparking behind his eyes. Levi smirked back. "Alright. Have fun," and he turned to sit at his desk.

Almost reluctantly, Eren headed out the door, and down the hall to the elevators. As the door shut, Levi looked back at it. The room was quiet, but his heart wasn't. It was beating a little faster than normal. He frowned, not understanding why.

He wondered if Eren heard it.


	12. Mini Chapter 1

Chapter 10: Mini Chapter 1

 _I do not own Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin or its characters. It belongs to Hajime Isayama._

 _Author's note~_

 _Hey! SO SO SOrry about last time... by couple hours I meant couple days! Haha! ENJOY THE MINI CHAPTER! I'll hopefully post again tomorrow night!_

* * *

A whole week passed. In that whole week, Eren managed to get past the team without them noticing his… quirks. They would wake up every day at 7am, train with Levi or together for hours on end, and go over missions or information. It was routine, and Eren wasn't unfamiliar with that.

During meals, Levi, Erwin, or Hanji would call Eren to their office or lab, and fill him in on knowledge about Titans, unsuspected by the others. During the night, the team would get more relaxed, and sometimes hang out in the base, and Eren used the time to re-accommodate himself with social situations and human emotions.

One day, when sitting with Erwin during lunch period, Eren overheard on a phone call that there would be a new group coming into the headquarters in one month. He wondered just how many people out there wanted to help fight against titans. Hanji already told him about the number of people dead, so he believed people would be in hiding instead.

Today, Eren would go to Hanji's lab for his scheduled check up. He discovered she was slightly insane over actual titans, which is why she fawned over him a lot. He also felt she seemed… more giddy when he and Levi visited her at the same time. But he shook that thought out of his head before it could grow.

He remembered the first day he went into Levi's office, and how weird he felt. When he left, he heard Levi's heartbeat quicken… and he couldn't figure out why. Did he not like Eren, in the elevator, pondering all of this, Eren visibly frowned. Maybe he could ask Hanji? The car dinged, and the doors opened as he stepped into Hanji's lab. He was surprised to see Erwin and Levi standing around too, listening to one of her titan rambles.

"OH EREN!" Hanji exclaimed loudly. All attention was diverted to him. She half ran over to him, and yanked him by the arm over to his usual bed, where Levi was standing close by. That weird burning sensation bubbled up in his cheeks, but externally, his skin didn't change. He looked down at the floor, and obediently sat on the bed's edge, waiting for Hanji to explain.

"Today, we will test your hormone and nutrient levels Eren." Hanji described, engrossed in gathering all the necessary tools over by her desk, and bringing them on a rolling table to Eren's unoccupied side. Levi stared at Eren's face from his position on his left side. Eren kept his look down though, and didn't notice.

"Okay Eren! Now if you don't mind-" Hanji began, but somehow, while holding a pair of scissors to open the needle packages, she tripped on the table, and landed close to Eren, who, with his fast reflexes, tried to catch her. Erwin, quickly grabbed Hanji and helped her back up, while she adjusted her glasses. Levi looked over Eren, while helping pick up the dropped utensils. "I'm so sorry Eren! I didn't see where I was-" She began, but stopped. All three humans, and one titan, glanced down at Eren's right forearm, at the large gash in his skin. They could all see the dark, almost black, red blood underneath the broken skin, that never bled out. In a matter of seconds, the skin sewed itself back up, showing no signs of any cut or gash.

Hanji smiled wide and laughed, while Levi and Erwin stared shocked. "That's amazing! Eren, you don't bleed! But, we should have known this because your heart doesn't beat, and you've got no blood pressure…" She rambled on. Eren kind of felt a little uncomfortable, looking at his arm. Hanji ran over to her desk, furiously scribbling notes on a pad of paper, while Erwin went over to see what she was writing. Levi stayed next to Eren, shock fading from his face, being replaced by his normal stoic look.

"What's wrong, Eren?" He asked gently. Eren blinked, furrowing his brows before looking up at Levi. He noted slight surprise and curiosity in Levi's eyes. "It's just… it's weird. I know I'm not normal… but seeing this just kind of makes it real that I'm a monster." Eren finished, sounding defeated by the end of his sentence. He jumped when something warm gripped his hand. It was Levi's hand. He shot his head back up to look at the blue eyed man. "You aren't a monster, Eren." He said, determination strong in his voice. Erwin and Hanji walked over, smiling softly.

Eren smiled back, at all of them. "Thank you all… for thinking I'm not-" Eren started, hopping off the bed, but he stopped himself. His hand was still connected to Levi's, and all three pairs of eyes were on him, but his eyes became unfocused, staring at the floor.

He brought up his right hand quickly to his chest, over his heart. All of his muscles tensed, and his mouth opened to say something, but nothing came out. "Eren?" Levi asked, alarm in his voice, and his hand gripping Eren's arm as he fell to the floor. Erwin gasped, and grabbed Eren's other arm, both men supporting Eren as he lay on his knees on the ground. Hanji kneeled down in front of Eren, fear in her eyes and hands on Eren's face, lifting his head up. "Eren! What's wrong?" He gasped out loud, breathing hard. The three adults looked at each other, alarm in all of their eyes.

They looked back down at Eren. He snapped his head up, a blank look on his face. It was silent, as his words rang through the room.

"I think my heart just started."


	13. Mini Chapter 2

Chapter 11: Mini Chapter 2

 _I do not own Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin or its characters. It belongs to Hajime Isayama._

After Eren's episode, Hanji spent an hour checking his vitals, and running tests. Nothing, according to her equipment, changed in Eren. His heart monitor still flatlined. None of the three adults could figure out what happened, and Levi and Erwin discussed what was happening in the moments leading up to the episode.

They couldn't think of anything out of place. Hanji however, didn't reply to them when they told her that, and instead looked at Levi for a couple seconds, before dismissing everyone from her lab, claiming she'd look into it.

The next day, Eren routinely woke up, and went down to meet the team. He got out of the elevator on the correct floor, and headed into the cafeteria, where he would fake-eat his breakfast with the team.

When he looked up, Eren saw Levi standing next to Eren's spot on the table, arms crossed, and expression bored. "Hey Eren! It seems like Levi's pulling you out for training today!" Olou said, his voice teasing and a smile on his face. Petra gave him a dirty look, before turning to Eren with a sweet smile. "Sorry Eren! I guess we will see you later on." She said, and turned back to the others, who quickly scuffled around, embarrassingly keeping their heads down. Eren was slightly confused, as he looked at Levi, who met his gaze, and said "Let's go."

Eren felt like the team knew something he didn't.

The two males got down to the training room. It was a large, white gym-looking place, with lots of greenery like trees and boulders grown to make a forest-like simulation. It was used for spying or blending-in techniques. Levi and Eren walked passed it, and towards the area less covered in the green. It took them a while to walk the entire space of the giant room.

Finally, Levi stopped at a small area, close to a big wall window, and turned to Eren, uncrossing his arms. "Today, I'll teach you hand-to-hand combat. It is useful to you, especially if you come in physical contact with a titan." He finished, getting into a fighting stance. "These are the basics, which you can probably pick up fast. Stand like this, and brace your arms in front of you, so you can easily swing them, or use them to block." He began, demonstrating.

Eren sunk down into a mirror pose, and waited further instruction. Levi stood, and walked over to Eren, where he proceeded to adjust his body to the correct position. Throughout the exercise, Levi would do this, and noted that Eren was getting better and better. And Eren, nodding, or answering questions, was only caught up with the feeling of his heart about to start again, each time. He tried not to let it show, and was surprised at his own calmness and restraint on it. But by the time the exercise was done, Levi ordered him to go see Hanji.

Hanji was halfway through taking Eren's vitals, when she stopped in her tracks. Her eyes were wide, as she made her way to her desk, and brought back a clipboard and a blood pressure monitor. "Eren, do you know why you keep getting these... Heart bursts?" She asked, her face very serious, but laced with curiosity. "Uh..." He started, but thought for a second before replying "I think, it only happens around Levi, Miss Hanji."

Hanji's face burst into a wide grin, and she flipped a few pages on her clipboard, before looking back up at Eren. "I observed the same thing yesterday, Eren. It was when you got attention and physical affection from another human..." She trailed off, running to her desk, and pressing a button on her landline phone. She held the receiver up to her ear, waiting before the other line clicked. "Hello?" The familiar deep, sultryish voice answered. "Levi, come down here fast." She said, and hung up the phone. Eren's eyes widened. "What did you do that for?" He asked, fear lacing his question. Hanji merely smiled even wider, and laughed giddily. "Oh Eren!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air and running to him. "This is a breakthrough! Imagine, a CURE for titans, seems to be... oh but that's not complete, you still have lots of time.." She rambled. Eren was totally confused. A cure? Him? How? The doors opened, and Levi burst through. "Hanji? Is everything okay?" He asked, hair a little wind blown-probably from running at Hanji's urgent tone-and concern laced in his eyes. He looked at Eren, eyes scanning his face, trying to detect anything wrong. He jogged up to Eren's side, and looked at Hanji, who seemed EVEN MORE giddy than before.

"Levi, touch Eren." She asked, as if it were the simplest thing ever. Levi's eyes widened, and Eren jerked his neck back in surprise. "WHat?" They both asked. Hanji just chuckled, and walked to Levi, taking his hand, and Eren's, and connecting them. The two stared at her in shock, then at each other in embarrassment. Eren's grey eyes focused on Levi's blue, and he didn't register the feeling of the Blood pressure cuff being put on his arm. Hanji pressed the 'on' button, and waited. The room was deathly silent. The blood pressure monitor flatlined, showing now signs of a life in the arm it was secured on.

Eren looked at Hanji, and Levi looked at the monitor. They were still confused, and they were still holding hands. Hanji looked at both of them. "See Eren! You're holding Levi's hand!" she said, and almost immediately, Eren let go, and smacked his hand over his mouth.

Levi and Hanji both stared in disbelief as the monitor beeped a few times, signaling a rise in blood pressure. From zero, to not zero, it rose slowly, Eren gasping for breath like he did before. It only lasted a few moments, Eren slumping over on his back, but Levi catching him halfway to look at his face. Hanji went on Eren's other side, and looked as well. His eyes were slightly unfocused, but what the two noticed, was a faint blush on his cheeks. Levi supported Eren's head with his left arm, and his torso with his right, mesmerized as the monitor reached zero again, and the blush faded back to the deathly pale skin. Eren's eyes refocused, and he took one last breath before stopping, and blinking.

Both he and Levi looked at Hanji, who was squealing at the sight of the two. "Hanji... what was that?" Levi questioned. She stopped hopping up and down to grab Eren's left hand, not breaking eye contact with Levi.

"I think we've found a cure for the titans."


	14. Author's note 32516

Hey there guys!

Okay. I'll try to make this quick.

First, I am INCREDIBLY sorry for not updating in, who knows how long.

It's not that I've been busy (I mean, I have been) but I honestly lost so much interest in the fandom because the anime has been silent for like, 2 years now? I dunno.

If you guys really want me to continue, lemme know! While I have lost interest in the fandom, I definitely haven't lost interest in the story. I have lots of new ideas.

Write a review, or share the story around! I would love to hear more reviews and corrections and replies, so that I can make you all happy. That's honestly all I want. Let me know what you wanna see next!

Thanks so much!

Corporal Sunglasses B)


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